Just Give Me A Reason
by pixelatrix
Summary: "I'm going to wait until we're both sober. I don't want you to have any doubts about where I stand." Shepard/Vega. Slight Spoilers for ME3, Citadel DLC. Rating mostly for language.
1. Chapter 1

**Updated A/N: **

**This was going to be a one-shot, but I changed my mind. Unrelated to my other stories. Silly fluff that wouldn't leave my head.**

**The Shep in this is: soldier, was on Akuze and a colonist.**

**Spoilers for Citadel DLC.**

**This is inspired partly by the idea that Vega rejects Shepard, and then backtracks slightly.**

**Beta: None**

**Bioware owns All…except my words. lol**

**Read. Enjoy. Review. **

"Hey Esteban, have you seen Shepard?" Vega looked around the apartment, but he couldn't see the Commander anywhere among the other partiers.

"Yes," Cortez stopped dancing long enough to answer. "She left when you started dancing upstairs with Miranda and Liara."

Vega frowned at that but Cortez was already dancing again. He headed towards the door where Grunt was still turning people away. The young Krogan had seen Shepard leave but had no idea where she went. James continued on to the elevator and the strip. He searched for the Commander for at least an hour.

He finally found her sitting at the Casino bar on the second floor. She was slamming back shots of a green liquor that he'd never seen before. Vega took a seat on the stool next to hers. She didn't bother to look up at him. He waved the bartender over and ordered a few shots of tequila.

"Go away."

He looked into her eyes and found anger, or maybe it was hurt. Shepard turned away and reached for the newly filled glass in front of her. She downed the last drink in one swift motion. Pushing away from the bar, she stormed away from him. He paused to pay for the drinks then raced after her. He caught up with her just as she was stepping out of the casino.

"Is something wrong, Lola?" He pulled her over into a quiet alcove away from the crowds strolling around on the strip.

Her eyes glistened but she blinked rapidly before he could tell if there had been any tears. She turned angrily away from Vega. His hand on her arm kept her from disappearing again though. She glared down at it and then back up at him.

"Talk to me, Shepard." His eyes were filled with concern and maybe that was what finally swayed her.

"Did you really think that I'd be ok with sleeping with someone who had to get drunk first?" Shepard's green eyes pierced into his. "And don't quote the fucking regs at me. Neither of us gives a shit about them."

"I…" Vega couldn't think of a response.

"Do you know what a batarian raid looks like?" Shepard remarked off-hand.

"What?" Vega found the abrupt change of conversation disorienting.

She pointed towards a batarian who was deep in conversation with a turian. "Batarian slaver raids are brutal and merciless. They take everyone. And if they don't take you for a slave, they turn you into an example. Those who aren't slaves are tortured and murdered. It is motivation for those left alive to obey, as if the electric collars around the neck aren't enough."

"I don't follow."

"I watched my entire colony get taken on Mindoir. They took everyone that I'd ever known. My friends, my parents and even the fucking livestock were killed or enslaved. It was worse than slaughter." Shepard seemed to have forgotten that he was there. It was like she was talking to herself. "It happened sixteen years ago today. And I have been alone ever since. The only man to strike my interest can't bring himself to do anything other than play silly games."

Shepard yanked her arm out of his hand and walked slowly back towards her apartment. Vega watched her go in a haze. He wasn't sure what had stunned him the most. He knew her history, but hearing it from her directly was _different._ He was still contemplating the rest of it when Cortez sent a message over his comm. There was an incident at the apartment involving Shepard. He knocked over at least one person in his rush to get back.

"What the hell is going on?" Vega found Cortez and Garrus lingering outside one of the bathrooms; the rest of the party had disappeared. The only evidence he found of an incident were several shattered statues that appeared to have been shot.

"Shepard kicked everyone out," Cortez explained.

"At gunpoint," Garrus added after a moment. "She even took a shot at Alenko when he tried to reason with her."

"And you stayed why" Vega placed an ear against the closed-door to see if he could hear anything.

"Someone needs to make sure…" Cortez trailed off while staring pointedly at the door.

"Sure what?" Vega pulled away from the door.

"That she doesn't shoot anyone else." Garrus looked the most worried that James could remember seeing him.

"We nominated you for the job." Cortez exchanged a quick glance with Garrus. "Good luck."

Vega watched the two make a hasty retreat from the room. He glanced back at the close door with a sigh. He tried the handle but wasn't surprised to find it locked.

"Hey Lola? Think you could open the door for me?" Vega waited for a response. When none came, he did what came naturally; he used brute force to shove the door open.

"Do you mind?" Shepard's voice sounded like she'd been swallowing broken glass.

Vega stood just inside the bathroom trying to decide what to do next. The Commander was sitting on the floor, backed up against the wall with her knees pulled up to her chest. The gun in her hand however was what really concerned James the most. He had no intention of getting shot or letting her hurt herself for that matter.

"Can I have the pistol?" Vega crouched down next to her. She shook her head in response. He decided to try another tactic. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"What am I fighting for?" Shepard looked up at him with haunted eyes. Her fingers tightened around the pistol but he stood his ground. "I keep hearing how all this rides on my ability to bring all these bickering races together. They keep telling me how I have to defeat the reapers. But what the hell do I have to fight for? I have no home and no family. Am I supposed to find motivation from the people who just a month ago were calling me a liar and trying to lock me in the brig for the rest of my life? And the one bright spot in my life? The man who I think I'm in love? He doesn't even give a damn."

"What pendejo wouldn't give a damn about you?" Vega reached out to tuck a lose strand of hair behind her ear.

Shepard just looked at him. The silence stretched out between them.

"Shepard, I…"

"Don't." Shepard shoved the pistol into his hands. "I wasn't going to shoot myself."

"Of course not." Vega glanced down at the weapon.

"I thought about shooting you."

"I might've deserved it." He tucked the gun into the back of his jeans.

"If I promise not to shoot anyone else today, will you go away?" She stood and started to head for the door.

Vega's mind was still trying to process what she had said a few minutes earlier. Shepard was almost at the door when he caught her by the wrist. He pulled her back towards him, until their lips were almost touching.

"I thought you couldn't see past my rank?" Shepard had a vulnerable look that Vega had never seen before.

Vega leaned in until their lips were just lightly touching. When he spoke, they brushed against each other. "Maybe I was being a pendejo."

"Maybe?" Shepard was standing very still, as if she didn't want to break the mood.

Vega just shrugged in response and stepped back. "You should probably hit the sack, Lola. That was a lot of asari liquor you drank."

"You trying to get me in bed, Vega?" Shepard stumbled out into the bedroom.

"Ha!" Vega kept his hold on her arm to help her over to the bed. He helped her to get under the covers then leaned down to whisper. "I'm going to wait until we're both sober. I don't want you to have any doubts about where I stand."

* * *

Shepard awoke the next morning and immediately regretted being conscious. Some bastard was clearly repeatedly stabbing her with something very large. The last time that she'd been thing hung-over, _fuck_, she'd never been this hung-over.

"I am an idiot." She slowly opened her eyes. "No more alcohol."

After adjusting to the light, Shepard dragged herself out of bed into the bathroom. She was splashing cold water into her face when she caught sight of the note attached to the mirror. She shook the water from her eyes and took a closer look at the note.

_Dinner?_

_No tequila._

_Just us, on a date?_

_James_

Shepard ran her fingers over the note while a small smile spread across her face. Her memories from the previous night were sadly all too clear. Aspirin was definitely needed then she had a few apologies to make. She was fairly certain that she shot at someone.

A long, hot shower followed by several aspirin cured the hangover almost completely. She grabbed a skycab back to the _Normandy_. It took an hour to find everyone that deserved an apology. Most were hung-over enough to not remember her meltdown. This was clearly proof that there was a god. The rest just laughed it off as a hilarious end to an amazing party.

The note that Vega left for her was burning a hole in her pocket. She headed down to the shuttle bay only to find Vega hadn't returned from shore leave. She scribbled yes on the note and left it attached to his punching bag. She checked in with the technicians only to find that the repairs were not quite finished.

Shepard headed back to the Silversun Strip. The Armax Arsenal Arena provided a great distraction. Zaeed and Jack fought through round after round with her until Shepard's name was on the top of the rankings. She was on her way back to the apartment when she found Vega leaning against the doors to Tiberius Towers. He was in the suit that he'd been wearing during the mission at the Casino. It still made butterflies do a tango in her stomach.

"Lola."

"James." Shepard carefully avoided his gaze. His voice wasn't helping with the butterflies. "You're looking…good."

"I thought we might work on that reason for fighting."

Shepard broke into a grin. She stepped forward to place a hand on his chest, feeling the hard muscles underneath the jacket. "I think I already found it."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **

**A silly, short fluffy end. Sorry, I just can't make this into a longer story, I tried lol.**

**Spoilers for Citadel DLC.**

**Beta: None**

**Bioware owns All…except my words. lol**

**Read. Enjoy. Review. **

They were seated at one of the restaurants on the strip. It was supposedly one of the best steak houses on the Citadel; Shepard didn't want to look all that closely at the meat or the kitchen for that matter. She was finding her attention completely taken by the man sitting across from her. He glanced up from the menu to find her staring.

"No fish tanks." Vega gestured around the restaurant. "I thought it best to avoid them."

Shepard kicked his shin under the table.

"Careful, you break it, you bought it." Vega turned his attention back to the menu only to have Shepard kick him again. "What was that for?"

"Just trying to stake my claim." Shepard stretched her leg out to rub the spot on his shin that she'd kicked.

"You keep doing that, Lola, and we won't make it to ordering dinner." Vega grinned at her over the menu.

Shepard rubbed his leg a moment longer, and then pulled her foot back. "We could always get it to go. I've got that massive apartment just sitting empty. There's a couch, a warm fireplace and several beds."

"I think we'll need our strength before we do that." Vega winked at her. "Don't worry, Lola, I'm not going anywhere without you."

She reached out to take his hand. "Are you sure?"

Vega glanced down at the menu before meeting her eyes. "Let's get the steaks to go; I'm going to need to give you a damn good reason to believe me."


End file.
